Kanye West seeking to get on Wyoming ballot

Rapper Kanye West is seeking to get on the Wyoming presidential ballot as an independent candidate, the Wyoming secretary of state’s office confirmed to The Hill on Wednesday. 

A spokesman for the office had told the Casper Star Tribune that representatives for West filed paperwork on Monday in an effort to get his name on the November ballot in the state.

Wyoming, the rapper’s current home state, is one of several states where West is trying to make the presidential ballot in a rushed effort. Other states have challenged or rejected the required signatures he filed.

County clerks across Wyoming said they received reports on Tuesday that the rapper’s signature collectors violated state law by gathering signatures too close to polling stations during the state’s primary election, according to the Star Tribune.

Wyoming law prohibits electioneering or gathering signatures within 100 yards of a polling station.

Natrona County Clerk Tracy Good told the newspaper there were two situations of West signature gatherers collecting too close to the polls, saying there have been similar complaints across the state.

The Wyoming secretary of state’s office told the Star Tribune that two instances were reported but no formal complaint was filed yet. 

In Evansville, journalists with the newspaper reported seeing a man gathering signatures for West by saying it would “take votes” away from presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden.

In Wyoming, West would need to collect 4,025 signatures before Aug. 24 to qualify, although the secretary of State’s office recommends doubling that number in case of challenges. 

West has successfully submitted paperwork to get on the ballots in Iowa, Colorado, Oklahoma and Minnesota. In other states, like Wisconsin and Illinois, the rapper’s submissions are being challenged for sending in invalid signatures, and in New Jersey, he withdrew his petition after being accused of fraud with his signatures. 

He also missed the filing deadline in several states including the swing state Florida.

The rapper’s campaign has been supported by Republican operatives and West told Forbes this month that he was “walking” for president and said he wasn’t “denying” that he is looking to take votes from Biden.